Workers poured cassava flour into blue and green bags sporting the
governing All Progressives Congress party's acronym and stashed them
next to a pile of red and green opposition rice packets. The
advertising campaign season is in full throttle.
The run-up to a vote is usually a chance for small businesses like
Shimatex Prints to cash in on election paraphernalia ranging from
hats and flip-flops to tissue boxes and cooking oil labels.
But business has been slower than usual ahead of the Feb. 25 vote as
candidates have hinged more campaigning on social media.
"Printing-wise [there is] not much difference in our orders," said
Shimatex Prints CEO Joel Mtsor, recalling busier periods around
2011, 2015 and 2019 polls.
"A few souvenirs, a few campaign materials, a few billboards. But
the impact on the print industry is not as good as it was," he told
Reuters.
Nigerians will vote for a new leader to replace President Muhammadu
Buhari amid growing insecurity and economic hardship. The three
frontrunners have promised to reduce living costs, boost growth and
tackle rising levels of violence.
As Africa's most populous country, Nigeria is home to tens of
millions of internet users, prompting candidates to compete for
voters' eye-balls across popular platforms such as Facebook, Tiktok,
Twitter and YouTube.
Social media has been a key campaigning tool ahead of a poll in
which almost 40% of registered voters are 34 or younger, according
to electoral commission data.
Not everything has moved online, however, as parties still
commission political regalia for rallies and other in-person
campaign events.
At a printing mall in Abuja's business hub, workers pasted party
logos on baseball caps and sew candidates' portraits onto T-shirts.
Bold political slogans flashed from white scarves hanging in the
background.
"It is what we want... the most craziest of orders for a printer is
a good job," said print shop owner Opeyemi Osho-Arilomo.
(Reporting by Abraham Achirga; Writing by Sofia Christensen; Editing
by Hereward Holland and Aurora Ellis)
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